Roy Chan



Roy Chan

English 1A

Section 22

Paper # 3 May 31, 2005

Food for the Soul in P.F. Changs

It is about 8 P.M. in the town of Long Beach, California. Street lights began turning on, the evening breeze began picking up, and the lighted coffee shops began turning on their colored neon sign: "Fresh Coffee." It is a typical evening here at the P.F. Chang's Restaurant. Manager Mike Douglass works overtime every night in his restaurant and welcome customers to his real fortune. People from local townsmen and celebrities began pouring in. The line would extend outside every night from the main entrance to the main parking lot. Couples and local residents would mention how P.F. Chang’s is well known for its “Dan Dan Noodles” appetizer, which consisted of scallions, garlic, chili peppers, noodles, and ground chicken.

His coworkers, Steve and Ryan, would stand behind a podium each night and walk friendly customers to their beautiful tables.

"Evenin' mam," said Steve from the podium.

"Good evening sir. Party of two please," said my girlfriend Amanda and I.

Steve, who was about six foot tall, would stand behind the podium with his

clothes tucked in wearing his elegant black tuxedo. To the right of the podium was a gigantic fish tank, which consisted of several single tailed goldfishes of 'Comets' and 'Shubunkins.' To the left hand side laid an enormous waterfall, where small turtles and snails would swim back and forth, as if they were swimming towards China. After the small wait, Steve then walked us to a small table nearby.

Inside, the room wasn't at all what I had expected. Customers were yelling across tables, several waitresses and custodians seemed to be very blunt and dry, and children and infants were crying as loud as elephants. The kitchen, although quite big, seemed to be very filthy and scummy. Numerous dishes were left lying on countertops, food was left lying on the ground, and bowls were being used over and over without rinsing them aside. It seemed as if the kitchen was being held at a gigantic zoo.

"Where is my food! I need a waiter! Why is my food cold!" the guests shouted.

Despite the lack of organization, the atmosphere, overall, was quite pleasant and inviting - attractive murals that created a romantic setting, interesting lighting inside the bar, and comfortable seating that gave a mysterious and glamorous dining scene, accented by pieces from the Ming and T'ang dynasties. The place reminded me of the 'Getty Museum' in California, but only without tables or chairs blocking the center aisle.

As soon as we were seated, a different waiter, Bob, introduced us to his daily specials, which were the 'Pin Noodle Soup' and the 'Chicken Lettuce Wraps.' 'The Pin Noodle Soup' came with shrimp, green onions, pork dumplings, pin rice noodles, and bean sprouts in spicy chicken broth; however, the 'Lettuce Wraps,' on the other hand, consisted with spicy chicken, served with a bowl of shaped lettuce known as “lettuce cups.” I then told the waiter that the 'Lettuce Wraps' was completely acceptable, and that we'll need a few minutes looking at the gigantic menu prepared.

As our waiter left to serve another party, I realized how noisy the atmosphere was between the bar and the pickup area of the kitchen. Aside from the bar was the very famous 'Captain's Table.' 'The Captain's Table' was one of two largest tables that can be reserved for larger parties. The room consisted of twenty chairs, four candles, two Egyptian tombstones, and a warm cozy fireplace to cuddle up after a romantic dinner. With every chair being spread apart, small candles being lighted up to the sky, and smooth jazz being played on the background, one can say that this restaurant was known as the 'high-energy bistro' in America.

Despite the pricey dishes, the service overall was quite fast and speedy.

Our same waitress, Bob, came back with the 'Lettuce Wraps' in hand within ten minutes of the time we ordered. He told us that we first must spoon the chicken into the lettuce cup, roll it up, and then dip it into one of the sauces given by his server. I grabbed the first bite, and was astonished by how tasty and crispy the chickens were. Each bite that poured into my mouth had this tantalizing and sizzling feeling, as if a small cello of music was swelling outside a rear window, rising higher and higher until it lifted off the earth, sailing toward Venus.

We then decided to order our main entrees. The main dishes overall was a bit pricey compared to the "New #1 Chinese Food" down the block to the 'Aquarium of the Pacific.' As I ordered, some of the dishes I knew, such as the Wonton Soup, were a little bit too 'bistroized,' and may not have that authentic Chinatown taste. Ignoring those foods, I concentrated most on the main entrees, tasting a variety of items. I then ordered the 'Honey Spicy Glazed Chicken' and the 'Peking Ducks,' while my girlfriend, ordered the 'Cantonese Chicken' and the 'Mongolian Beef.' Our waiter then mentioned that our meals included salad and drinks, and that it'll be right out in a few of minutes

While Amanda and I were having a conversation about Chinese food, we were then interrupted with our 'Oriental Chicken Salad' and iced water along with iced tea, both of which were refilled in a timely manner. Our salad was quite tasty and delicious; however, the chicken was quite skimpy and sort of grounded up. I believe they probably used the same chicken in the salad as they do for their famous lettuce wraps that I had just eaten.

Despite a few imperfections, our waiter then delivered our hot and boiling food onto the table. Amanda and I shared our meals, and enjoyed the honey glaze chicken because it was pure. The chicken, although neither salty nor bland, came with brown rice accompanied with apple seasoning powder. I then sampled the 'Peking Ducks.' 'The Peking Ducks' were fried with pork. It was presented hot, superb, fresh, and very tasty. The 'Cantonese Chicken' and the 'Mongolian Beef,' on the other hand, were quite flavory and mild. The Mongolian beef was quickly cooked with scallions and garlic, while the Cantonese chicken was accompanied with honey shrimp that were battered with yummy stir-fried scallops and shrimps that were seasoned with garlic and yellow chives. Aside from our main entrees were a few vegetables. The Sichuan asparagus were tasty, and the stir-fried spicy eggplants were delicious too. The food, overall, was perfectly flavored and tendered, with the right amount of wilted green onions that made my mind craving for more.

Before leaving, I wanted to compliment our waiter, Bob, for an excellent service he brought for us to the table.

"Don't thank us for a great service we provided, but thank everyone else, including yourself, for making this restaurant possible. Without you guys, this restaurant wouldn't be made possible," said our waiter.

P.F. Chang's was definitely a change from the norm of Chinese food. It wasn't anything like a traditional Asian restaurant - the vibe was more hip, upscale and bohemian, and less 'mom and pop' type of restaurant. With the slick concrete floors and tightly arranged tables, every customer had a great opportunity to feel close to home. One thing that made this restaurant different was how the order was put together. Each order was compiled on an edged platter with the individual cooking ingredients and seasonings. The style of cooking at P.F. Chang’s was known as Mandarin style.

As we headed towards the exit, I asked manager Mike Douglass:

"What makes this restaurant so different compared to the other Chinese restaurants in California?"

He replied, "P.F. Chang's is different because our customers are different.

Everyone has there own special kinds of taste. Some people go more on quality food. Others may go on quantity. If people like to be different, then why can't we be different?"

After listening to his response, I felt, though, that Douglass statement sounded as if he was making a silly April Fools joke setup by our superb waiter, but after rethinking about it, his statement seemed to make total sense.

"Our restaurant was a place to be happy, a place to be connected, and a placed to be inspired with true love," said by Douglass.

Everyday, from sunrise to sunset, and from dusk to dawn, Douglass told me that his restaurant will always be known as the 'food for the soul' in the town of Long Beach, California.

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